Numerous fire-fighting appliances are known such as foam and powdered extinguishers and asbestos blankets, but such devices possess known deficiencies. For example, such devices are often not suitable for use with or application to a fire victim. Further, many such devices are not suitable for convenient transport and/or do not withstand or properly function after exposure to extreme temperature conditions, such as freezing temperatures.
In an attempt to improve on such appliances and overcome the deficiencies thereof, there has been proposed a fire blanket which must be stored in a container containing a thickened but flowable aqueous solution, which blanket must be removed from the solution-containing container when use of the blanket is required. With this arrangement, however, the overall assembly is both bulky and heavy, in addition to being expensive, and hence this restricts and in fact detracts from usage thereof. Further, the blanket when removed from the container is messy to use due to the thickened flowable solution, and hence this tends to discourage removal of the blanket from the container except in those situations where use of the blanket is believed essential. The blanket itself is also of an extremely complex and hence expensive structure, such as being of a woven wool. This appliance, as disclosed in Pat. No. 3,902,559, hence possesses recognized disadvantages but, nevertheless, has still achieved substantial commercial success inasmuch as no one has, prior to this invention, devised a more desirable fire blanket.
In addition to conventional fire blankets as described above, fire-fighting appliances also include numerous clothing articles such as suits, pants, jackets, boots and gloves used for protecting an individual when fighting a fire. Such clothing has conventionally been constructed of various synthetic materials such as asbestos, aluminized fabrics and the like. Such articles, however, do not always provide protection of the level desired, particularly when exposed to flames or substantial temperature.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved fire-retardant material incorporating therein a substantial quantity of a solidlike water-base gel, which material is particularly desirable for use as a fire-fighting appliance, such as for a fire blanket or for an article of fire-retardant clothing.
More specifically, it is one object of this invention to provide an improved blanket, particularly a so-called fire blanket, which overcomes the deficiencies associated with prior fire-fighting appliances of this general type. In particular, the improved fire blanket of this invention can be readily and manually applied so as to extinguish small fires, including extinguishing burning clothing on a victim. At the same time, the improved fire blanket of this invention can be readily stored, which blanket when use thereof is desired, can be quickly and easily used by removing the blanket from its protective bag and thereafter unfolding the blanket and removing the plastic film from the one side thereof, whereupon the blanket can then be utilized. The blanket preferably comprises a large flexible sheet of nonwoven fabric which provides the blanket with substantial strength, and which functions as a carrier for a relatively thin layer of polyvinyl alcohol gel. The gel layer preferably has a plastic film removably but lightly adhered to one surface thereof to permit folding of the blanket without creating any self-adherence between the folded layers. The gel layer creates a cool and moist, but not wet or messy, surface which is effective for both smothering a fire and for protecting a person from a fire. Such blanket can be manufactured relatively inexpensively, and can be conveniently and compactly stored and transported without requiring special handling or containers.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved article of fire-retardant clothing, which article is believed to represent a significant improvement over conventional clothing articles of this general type. This improved article of clothing is formed from a large flexible sheet of nonwoven fabric which provides the clothing article with substantial strength, and which functions as a carrier for a relatively thin layer of polyvinyl alcohol gel. One surface of the gel layer has a release liner thereon, such as a thin perforated layer of polyethylene, which release liner adheres to the gel layer and effectively functions as the inside lining of the clothing article. The outer surface of the gel layer preferably has a plastic film removably but lightly adhered thereto to prevent any self-adherence between folded layers of the clothing article, which outer plastic film is removed when utilization of the clothing article is desired. The clothing article is formed by stitching the fire-retardant material together using conventional seaming techniques.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with devices of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.